Electric switch



sept, 17, 1940. G. R. BROWN 2,215,319

` ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 12,5, 1958 IIIIHIIIIIHI j vHlsfAttor-neg lPatented Sept. 17,L 1940 UNiTEDf George vR. Brown," Stratford, .-Con'nl', assigner to v f General Electric Company, aV corporation of# NewYork application November 25, 193,8

` somma (citanoeiserv f "TheV- present' invention relates to electric switches and more particularly Lto an; electric switch of the slow break type.

n is anobjoct of this invention @provide-a, 51 switch in' 'which 'an increased rubbing or Wipingj` action vtakes place between theV contacts whenthey are openedor closed.

ItV is 'anotherobject of this invention to provide av switch with a pair 4of "exible' members for supporting the contactsfand normally biasing them toclosed circuit positionan'd alsojvtoV provide means for moving oney of thecontacts: away from its closed circuit position while' allow--V ing the other Lcontact to`follow this'movement -for a predetermined distance before `the 'contacts are separated.

1 1: is' further objectoffthis invention .to prqvide a switch construction in whichfthe'wiping action between the "contacts is increased'by makingV one contact supporting memberzs'tifer than the' other.

Further objects andl advantages ofthe present' inventionwill become apparent astheiollo'wing description proceeds, reference vbeing had to the` accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view o f a pendantvswitch@embodying my inverntion; Fig. 2 is as ectionalview' taken along the]r line 2.--2 of.v Fig. lf; Fig. 3 is a planview showing,y

the switch of Fig. 'l with the upper halfof the appears `iust tacts.

by a screw I3 which lengagesa suitable threaded insert |4 in the lower -.half I2 ,of -the v housing.

The other end of the housing is secured together:A

by a springgclip. I5 which isv adapted to engage thespaced'parallel wall portions I6\` formed kon the two parts of the housing. v'lflfieispring clip I5 is restrained from lateral motion .by 'suitable switch'housing.

provided with` a nterminal ,portion 2l) extending laterally from its' upper edge.- The strips I8v andiIS maybe formed in any suitable'manner` y but asillustrated the'y are preferably sheet metal "located on the' side 4of thel ho housingremoved; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken( alon'gthe line 4 -4 of Fig. '3; 'and 'Fi g.. 5 is"a plan" view showing the contactstructure as "it, prior to theseparation of ther con-l' 'Referring tothe drawing, a switch body or' h'ousingof insulating material, such "as aphef' nolic condensation productfis illustrated-fgen` As shown in` Fig. 2 the franges n` which are' forincdintegrally witntiie The contact and terminal-.structure includes the conducting strips VI8 and I9 each-ofwhich isV stampingsjeachhaving an 'extending ear which" 7 is bent overat right angles to tliestrips 'to' formi the terminals 20. I9 y .resecured'in the lowerlialf of' the h.nisiiig.`v by terminal screws 2I','which'pa'ss`through suit-... 5.

able' @D-Diegem" bhefierminalszo andiengage,

the threaded inserts 22. The insertsfgare fric-11jV tionalli7 .held in suitable f `fnings23"forined in upstanding' bosses 24 arranged on .either Vsidev of ',t'he housing. `Contacts"[25 and 26A Aof silverV 1I or viother' material Aaresecured to thefopposed faces of the'iree ends of the conductigllstrlpS;v I'8 v and I9 in j'any, '.suitablejnianner `such a's'" b'y welding, The` 4conducting strips "which arev formed of resilient 'ina/serialV to 'closed circuit position.'v ,Iliel'switchis con-V nected 'to an' electric circuit byfa insulatedcord 2*' 1 'the end of which isfreceived in amsuit'able recess z8 formedjnzthe end of the'svvitchj'hous-j-go ing. n strain relief1 isprovided ingthe pres'ent construction by afboss'lgformed" on the lower; half of the housing and"jspafced'.v from, the outer, wallsfthereofby recesses 30`which areadapted to receivethe 'insulated conductorsf'il jof th'e125 cord .2 1. 4VAs illustrated in Fig. 3.`each`o'f Vthe 'iniy sulated `conduc'zto'rs.. is fp ajssed around 'the bofs's 29 andfitsbared end Aj32 securedtothe terminal usingjopposite' the,r

recess through which theconductor enters the jf housing. *3 3fexter'ii ngfcompletelyacros's the upper half lll :of thehousing'holds themsulated conductors'l inthe recesses'. For` moving 'the contacts tov openicr'cuit posi tion 'al' platev or slider the spaced upsta'nding barrier members or guide'sf'f- 35, ar1 dl 36 which'are preferably molded integrallylj with the lowerj halfbfthe housing(` vit ygciod bearing surface ,f or? 'the slider u the v housing I 2f between Vthe "barriers''l` and,y 36 f 'Iheplatefu is Vtapered at .its-'iront' endrv as,y illustrated at 38y and.v is arranged to cooperate cumulatie 'on the contacts and interfere-Wahine'55 The Conducting' Strips ils-amig entend in' generally l| parallel relation and normally bias the contacts' '34 is provided by.

' vforming of ay good'electrical connection. As the this action movement of the insulating plate or slider 34 is continued, the tapered end `38 passes between the contacts and 26 and positively separates them.` A rib or boss 36 formed near the end of the barrier 36 and the flexible conducting member I9 are vpreferably so arranged that they arrest the movement of the contact 26 atapproximately the samey instant' that. the tapered portion 38 of the slider 34 passes between the contacts. An opening 40 formed inthe slider is arranged to cooperate with a button 4Iformed on the oiset portion 39 of the conducting member I8 to releasably hold the parts of theswitch in their open circuit position.,

As uiustrated m Fig. 3 the conducting member` supporting the contact 26 is made of a thinner. material than the conducting'stip I8. 'This difference in thickness i's provided to ren'der 'the member vI8 stiier than the memberI I9 to'increase ce which `the contact 26 will follow the dista the contact 25`fo`r agiven'contact pressure. ,Thatwill takefplace is readilyr apparent when it is noted that in thefnorrnal; closed cirl' cuit position of the contacts 25 and 26 the members I8 and I9 will both exert the same force on their associated contacts.. lighter conducting member I9 isv furtherufrom its unstressed position than the member I8 when the contacts are in their'normal closed position. This allows the contact 26 to follow contact 25 a greaterfdistance when the member I8 is moved in response toa movement of the slider 34 thanv would bepossible if both supporting strips I8 and I9 werejoi the same stiffness'.

"For operating the switch a suitable toggle leverV or y switch operating member 42 is` vreceived in an opening 43 formed in 'the'upper portion I I' f the housing.'V The 1ever"42fismounted fory .tilting movement byV means""of the 5 Vintegrallyl formed hich are rotatably received'betweenvv twopairof depending-legs r45 located on opposite trunnionsill sides 'ofthe opening 43." An operating arm' 48fon ,the ltoggle lever cooperates with 4a 'sintablerecess 41 formed in the, slider southat fa tilting movement of the toggle lever serves to move the slider into and out of engagement withthe ,conducting member I8. The walls 'of the recesses 48 and 4 9 formed' in the llower surface kof the toggle'lever" cooperatewiththel slider on either, side of the recess 41 to provide lateral 'support and help to maintain tlietoggle lever in o'p'erative relationship with the slider.

' In the operation' of the itis clear thata, downward `movement of the left-hand'end of the'V toggle leverwillfcausethe slider'f34 to moveinto engagement'with the offset portion 39 ofthe sup-f porting memberV I8 to move its associated contact :25y upwardly as viewedin 3. The contact 2s is'earriedby the more flexible member `la and will follow the movement 'of the 'contact25' until the tapered portion 38 of the slidersieparates the.

contacts. "As previously mentioned', this would preferably occur stant that` the .supporting memberi9 engages the rib 36fformedlon. the barrier 36, During the movement of the contactsr prior to 'their separation it is clear that .theyarerotating about ,axes

lwhich are spaced from one another and that such v rotationwill cause the contacts to move relative toeachother to the-position shown in Fig. 5., It whentheslider is moved to theleftby depressing theright-hand endot lever 42, the contact 2,5 will engage the contact 28 and move its associated conducting strip vI9 This vmeans .that the at approximately the same in-L The above construction provides a slow break.'

switch with av` large wiping actionybetween the contacts on both circuit opening and circuit closing operations so that a low resistance contact is assured.

while .1. have described and illustrated my invention as applied to a pendant switch, it is apparent that it isnot limited to the particular construction shown,l and I intend in the appended claims to cover all the modifications within the l spirit and scope of my invention.

A `What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.,In an'electric switch, a supporta pair or conducting strips mounted Vin insulated relation;

onfsaid support, 'contacts 'adapted to openand close an electriccircuitl associated with "said strips,v said s trips` .'normally biasing said contacts' to closed circuit DQSition,' spaced barriers onsaid body extending between saidstrips, a plate of ini sulating material movable between said lbarriers' and adapted to vseparate' said contacts', said plate beingrestrained by said barriers to engageone of said stripslan'd move its associated contact towards its open circuit position while permitting the other of said contactsto follow the, move# ment'of said one of `said strips and its'v associated,

contact for a predetermined 4distance before said contacts are separated.

v l I l 35 2. In anelectric s witch, abodyofiinsulating material, apair of resilient conducting members each having a contactportion knormally biased 'to close circuit position, an operating element` of insulating 'material positioned between said conducting. membersand vslidable to Vseparate said contact portions, and1 meansfor restraining the sliding movement 'oi A said operating velement' ,to engage one of said members vto move the contact'l 45 portion thereof away from its closedcircuit position while the other roisaid conducting members is allowedv to follow the movement of said'oneof tore said'contactportions are separated.`

'3.'In an. electric jswitchpa body of'insula'ting:

material,"a,pa' i r of resilient' conducting elements in ,said `body and each having acontact portion normally biased to closed circuit positionby the resilience oi: the element with which it i s associated, oneoffsaid elements being stiffer than; thefother, and meansfor .engaging said, stiffer:

element -to move it away from its vclosed-circuit ing action between the elements is increased.

'4. In an electric switch,`a supporti a pairoi elongated' resilientfelernents; each havingv a portion..V mounted yin insulated' relation" on said a contact, portion normally biasedv supportrand i Y tov closed circuit position by the. resilience ofthe element with which lt is associated, one

of said elementsbeingstiifenthan the other, to e nga`g e said stiffer element to move it away from its closed .circuit operating memberv movable position while .permitting said otherA element to followthe movement of saidstiierelement b e-Vy fore the contact 4portions of` saidfelements' are 5. 1n an @metric switch, a body or insulating material, a pair of resilient conducting elements in said body having cooperating contact portions associated therewith and normally biased to clos-v ed circuit position by Vthe resilience fof said elements, one of said elements being stiffer than the other, spaced barriers between said conducting elements, and a plate of insulating material movably mounted between said barriers for separating the contact portions of said conducting elements, the movement of said plate being restrained by said barriers to engage said stiier conducting. element and move it away from its closed circuit position while permitting the other of said conducting elements to follow the movement of said rst conducting element for a predetermined distance before said elements are separated so that -the wiping action between the contact portions of.

said conducting elements is increased.

6. In an electric switch, a two part housing of insulating material, a pair of conducting strips in said housing extending in spaced, generally parallel relation, contacts normally biased to closed circuit position by said strips, a terminal formed on each of said strips and extending from the upper edges thereof in a'plane perpendicular to said strips, a boss adjacent the opposite side walls of one part of said housing, means for securing one of said terminals to each of said bosses, a pair of spaced parallel barriers between said strips, a plate of insulating material`.posi tioned between said barriers and adapted to be moved longitudinally to separate said contacts, and interengaging means on said slider andone of said conducting strips for releasably holding said slider and vsalti contacts in open circuit position.

` 7. In an electric switch, a. housing ofinsulating l material, a pair of conducting ,elements insaid housing normally biased to closedy circuit posi'- tion, a pair'of spaced parallel barriers between@y said conducting elements,I a plate of insulating said contacts, said plate being restrained by said ofv said elements is free to follow said movement,

and means including one of said barriersfor ar- I. y y

ing conducting strips each secured at one end to` said housing, the free ends of said strips'having contacts associated therewith and normally ing, a plate of insulating "material movably mounted betweenv said guides and adapted when. i moved ,to separatev said contacts, said plate beingv recessed from its upper edge, and an operating rnaterial positioned between said barriers and adapted to be moved longitudinallyA to separate V20 biased to closed circuit position by said strips a 'f rpair of guides formed integrally with lsaid housmember pivotally mounted vin said housing for moving said plate, said operating member having a centrally located depending arm for engaging the Walls of said` recess, the lower edge of said operating memberalso having opposed depending wall portions formed on each sideof said operat-L ing arm for engaging' -said plates to hold said plate and said operating relationship.

GEORGER. BROWN.

member in operative :'35

1o; barriers to engage one of said elementsjto movef' it from its closed circuit position-while the'other 

